We all know that the 2025-2026 USC women's basketball season was difficult and challenging. It was an uphill battle, a slog, a journey defined by grinding work in the face of substantial obstacles. Jazzy Davidson had to learn the system and didn't have JuJu Watkins on the court as a teammate. She had JuJu coaching her and giving her advice, which was certainly valuable, but not having JuJu on the floor obviously limited what USC could achieve to a severe extent.
Kennedy Smith was the one core returning star on last season's team. She didn't have JuJu on the floor. Jazzy was a newcomer. So was transfer Kara Dunn. Though Dunn turned out to be a terrific player for the Trojans, she was adjusting to a new environment. Kennedy Smith was the one core player on the team who
had played for Lindsay Gottlieb the previous season. Smith was on an island, trying to bring everyone together. Opposing teams focused on Jazzy, knowing JuJu wasn't there to take pressure off her. Kennedy felt the pressure of needing to provide offense when opponents took away Jazzy. Kara Dunn became an effective scorer, but her adjustment process took time, and when either Jazzy or Kara weren't hitting shots, USC lacked a third scoring option. It was a struggle for USC without JuJu and without other dynamic scorers on the court.
Those struggles were real, but they made USC's players better. Jazzy Davidson and Kennedy Smith had to learn how to operate on the floor when opponents were focused on them specifically. Now, with the arrivals of Saniyah Hall, Sitaya Fagan, and Ryann Bennett, plus the return of JuJu Watkins, USC not only has a much more complete team; it has players whose basketball IQ levels have soared after dealing with all the challenges of last season.
Kennedy Smith and Jazzy Davidson don't just have another year of experience and wisdom under their belt; they now have the support system created by the newcomers and the return of JuJu Watkins. We can all see how last season's learning process has made USC women's basketball players smarter. We can also see, from the 100-68 romp over UNLV, that with so many quality scorers on the floor, players don't feel pressure to have to be the primary scorer. Everyone can pick her spots, and opposing defenses will have an impossible challenge trying to take away everyone.
No defense will be able to double-team USC's primary stars. Double-teaming one means another will be wide open. This means the floor will be spaced and every USC star will have room in which to operate. After last season, when Jazzy and Kennedy felt so much pressure to carry the load for the whole team, this season's widely-distributed offensive pie means everyone gets a slice and no one has to overextend herself. Kennedy Smith is no longer playing with pressure on her shoulders. That helps to explain why her jump shot is so much smoother and better. She is much more relaxed because she's not part of a limited roster anymore. This roster has endless options; it's the opposite of a limited group. JuJu Watkins is not the entire focal point of the offense anymore; she is one of several hugely capable and talented scorers. The Trojans can share the wealth and reduce the sense that any one person has to be the heart of the offense.
The struggles of last season have already made this USC team so much better. The benefits of last season's growing pains should continue to become evident for the Women of Troy as their journey progresses.
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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Difficulties of last season should make USC women better this season
